Looking Officially Canceled By HBO, Story Will Be Tied Up With A Special

The handwriting seemed to be on the wall. During its two seasons on HBO, Looking, which followed the misadventures of a close-knit group of gay friends in San Francisco, continued to struggle for ratings success and today the network has announced it has officially canceled the series. A spokesperson for HBO sent the following note to Queerty:

After two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of love and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a special. We look forward to sharing this adventure with the show’s loyal fans.

Looking was greeted with mostly positive reviews when it premiered in January 2014, but it immediately began to polarize viewers. Many complained that the series was too slowly-paced. Some expressed their challenge at trying to relate to Jonathan Groff‘s Patrick, a child-man whose actions sometimes defied logic and who often seemed too naive to be living on his own in San Francisco. A large part of the show’s appeal was the relationship between Patrick and Richie, the grounded, no-nonsense barber played with gentle authority by Raul Castillo. The interaction between the two disparate characters provided the beating heart of the series during the first season, but was largely relegated to the backseat during season two as Patrick explored a controversial relationship with his boss Kevin (Russell Tovey, who courted controversy of his own with remarks he made about effeminate men). One Queerty commenter joked that season one’s cliffhanger had viewers wondering if Patrick will choose Richie or Kevin, while season two’s cliffhanger queried whether Patrick will choose Richie or Kevin. It was definitely a slow-burner of a series. Still, the second season was hailed by many for its inclusion and fully-dimensional depiction of an HIV-positive character, Eddie (played by Daniel Franzese) and its honest discussion around topical issues such as use of PrEP.

But, as HBO’s statement indicates, we haven’t seen the very last of these gay underdogs. If you’re a fan of the series, tell us in the comments section what you want to see in the forthcoming conclusion.